Canada Lawyer News

No other option but to sue - Calgary lawyer

Posted Jan 20, 2016 on calgary.ctvnews.ca

Jeff Kahane, a lawyer in Calgary, said that there is no other option for disgruntled clients but to file a lawsuit against contractors who have abandoned them.

The Calgary General Contractors (CGC) has closed shop leaving several unfinished projects in its wake and putting house owners who have contracted them to renovate their homes at a disadvantage as they have already made payments.

In a statement sent to CTV News, a lawyer for CGC said that the contractor tried to stay afloat but it eventually had to close as a result of the declining economy.

Kahane said that in such situation, clients have no other choice but to file a lawsuit against the contractor.

Filing such a case would be worth it that is if the company has any assets left or any more collectibles.

Kahane advised that for renovations, it would be better to pay as work is done rather than paying in advance.

Pastor nets jail for possessing child pornography

Posted Jun 18, 2015 on www.edmontonsun.com

Richard John Docekal, who used to be a pastor in Edmonton, will be spending six months in jail after he submitted a guilty plea to possession of child pornography.

The 59-year-old Docekal admitted to having a large collection of pornographic materials of drawings in cartoons depicting children having sexual relations with their parents.

Ed O'Neill, a lawyer in Edmonton defending for the disgraced pastor, said that his client has regretted his misdeed which resulted to him no longer serving as a pastor.

Docekal's marriage also became a casualty of his unsavory hobby and he was also subjected to public humiliation after his arrest landed on the front pages of the news, said the lawyer.

The pastor's penchant for the pornographic materials came to light after the woman with whom he had an affair blew the whistle on him.

National defence expresses desire to settle sex assault claims

Posted Mar 16, 2015 on www.vicnews.com

London litigator Phillip Millar and lawyers of the Justice Department are working together after the Department of National Defence said it wanted to settle the claims made by eight women who alleged they were sexually assaulted by the department's medical technician.

According to the victims, they were subjected to a breast examination wherein they were touched inappropriately by James Wilks.

Wilks had denied the claims of the women and that he had done the examinations according to the standard procedure.

In 2013, several women including four of the five who have filed a claim, brought their complaints against Wilks in a court martial wherein he was convicted for several counts of breach of trust and sexual assault. The military judge gave his nod to proof that the victims, all under 40, did not have to undergo the breast examination.

He was sentenced to two years and six months which he hasn't started serving yet because he has appealed the conviction.

It was not the first time that Wilks has been convicted by a court martial because in 2011, he was also handed a nine-month sentence after he was convicted of charges of the same nature.

Millar said his clients are happy that the National Defence wants to go for a settlement.

Vancouver constable found guilty but also had his rights violated

Posted Mar 13, 2015 on www.nelsonstar.com

Stephen Todd, a former member of Vancouver police, has been found guilty of improperly accessing police database and giving information to his relative, who was under investigation.

However, Wally Oppal, who adjudicated the complaint against Todd, also dismissed accusations that Todd was being deceitful, displayed discreditable conduct and neglected bis duty.

Oppal slammed officers for denying Todd his right to get advice from a legal counsel or even from just the union during the time he was being questioned to obtain information about his relative.

Kevin Woodall, a lawyer in Vancouver, said Todd welcomes the decision and that he is happy to be absolved of the grave allegations.

Todd has been fired as a result of the deceitful accusations, which have now been dismissed.

The complaints against Todd stemmed from an incident in 2010 wherein Todd had accessed the police database to satisfy the curiosity of his family. It was then that he found out that one of his relatives was under investigation. Todd then accessed the database two more times.

However, according to Oppal, the way Todd was investigated was appalling wherein he was told that charges were ready to be filed against him. The investigators also resorted to fabricating a letter advising Todd that upon a judge's order, his personal communications were monitored.

Man convicted in 17 of 22 charges related to a shootout

Posted Mar 06, 2015 on www.castanet.net

Michael Edward Ellis has been convicted of several charges for his part in a police chase and shootout incident in July of 2012.

Ellis has submitted a not guilty plea to 22 charges in relation to the incident but he was found guilty in 17 of those charges.

During the incident, Ellis was identified as one of the three people whom police were chasing for an hour.

Among the charges Ellis was found guilty of were firearm charges. He was, however, acquitted of the charges related to murder.

In Ellis' defence, Victoria BC criminal lawyer John Gustafson told the court that his client's involvement in that incident was only forced. Even one of his companions testified as much.